The Transfer Tavern

According to a recent report from The Sun, Crystal Palace will seek £70 million for wantaway ace Wilfried Zaha this summer. The 25-year-old has been in sensational form for the Eagles in the last two years in twice helping them stave off relegation from the Premier League, to the point that his efforts have repeatedly attracted interest from clubs higher up the division.

And reports suggest that the Ivorian does indeed want to leave this summer but won’t do so for less than £70 million, news which must prompt Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy to bite the bullet and bring the attacking sensation to North London.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Mauricio Pochettino’s side have yet to make any additions this summer despite finishing 23 points adrift of champions Manchester City last season, at the same time failing to end their 11-year wait for some silverware.

And many believe that Levy’s prudent approach and unwillingness to pay over the odds is what is holding Pochettino’s men back from mounting a genuine title challenge, with Kyle Walker a prime case of Tottenham not paying the level of wages needed to keep some of their most prized assets.

And reports over the summer have suggested that Spurs won’t entertain the idea of landing Palace’s Zaha given the fee the Eagles want for the 25-year-old, but with the Ivory Coast international reportedly seeking an exit, it’s now time for Levy to bite the bullet and land the attacker.

Clearly, Zaha has been one of the most influential and impressive forwards outside of the Premier League’s top six in the last few years, what with the former Manchester United ace netting seven goals and laying on 11 assists to help Sam Allardyce’s Palace avoid the drop back in 2017, before adding nine goals and five assists last term under Roy Hodgson.

Thus, it’s clear that the 25-year-old is priceless to Palace and as such it will take all of the £70 million asking-price to convince them into selling the Ivorian, but if Spurs are serious about improving their team and indeed their squad this summer, he’s someone they must land.

In some of the big matches last season, Pochettino’s side looked bereft of ideas in the final third of the pitch, most notably in their 2-1 defeat to United in the semi-finals of the FA Cup, in which they failed to properly ask questions of Jose Mourinho’s men in the second half – it was crying out for someone like Zaha to get on the pitch and use his pace, trickery, and directness to get at the Red Devils defenders.

As such, while it is a lot of money, it appears to be the going-rate for a player of Zaha’s qualities nowadays, which is why Levy must bite the bullet and lure the 25-year-old ace to Tottenham this summer.